Combination cigar and cigarette lighter



Dec. 24, 194:0. R. MAYER COMBINATION CIGAR AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER Filed Aug. 28. 19:51

INVENTOR.

if 6 ,M M A d.

mm MG Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v 2,226,250 COMBINATION CIGAR AND CIGARETTE LIGHTER York Application August 28, 1937, Serial No. 161,386

2 Claims.

This invention relates primarily to means for lighting cigars and cigarettes and for dispensing cigarettes in lighted condition.

r Cigarette dispensers and lighters have heretofore been used both in the home and on automobiles. Their function is to dispense the cigarette from an appropriate container and to light the cigarette in such manner that, when picked up by the person, it is ready to smoke. It is,

10 however, impossible to satisfactorily light a cigar "on a cigarette dispensing and lighting mechanism. Thus, when installing these lighters on an automobile, it is common to provide one apparatus to dispense lighted cigarettes and an 15 addition and wholly independent pass-around lighter for the lighting of cigars.

With the foregoing considerations in mind, the object of the present invention is to provide means for dispensing and lighting cigarettes, and

2 for lighting cigars, all incorporated within and forming part of the same accessory and with the lighting elements of both fed from the same electrical circuit. Automatically operable thermostatic means protects the ignition elements 25. of both lighters from burning out in the event of overheating of either of such elements.

In practically carrying out the invention, I utilizean appropriate casing to hold a quantity of cigarettes to be dispensed and with such casing 30. is associated mechanism for dispensing such cigarettes, one at a time. With this mechanism cooperates cigarette lighting means including an ignition element which serves to ignite the cigarette,.so that it is ready to smoke when picked 35 up by the operator. Also associated with the casing is a pass-around lighter embodying an ignition elementvsuitable for the lighting of cigars, and both ignition elements are connected to a circuit in which there is included a thermostatic 40 control switch which protects both ignition elements from overheating. The advantage of this construction is that it provides not only for the dispensing of lighted cigarettes, but also for the lighting of cigars, as and when desired.

45 Features of the invention, other than those adverted to, will be apparent from the hereinafter detailed description and claims when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing.

The accompanying drawing illustrates differ- 0 ent practical embodiments of the invention, but

the constructions therein shown are to be understood as illustrative, only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing one 65 practical form of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a central front to back section through the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a section in substantially the plane of the line 3-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary perspective showing 5 a modified form of the invention.

While the present invention may be associated with any appropriate form of cigarette dispensing mechanism, I have chosen to show the same, for the purpose of illustration, as incorporated in the cigarette dispenser and lighter of the kind shown in my Patent No. 2,083,464, issued June 8, 1937, and in which apparatus I have made the necessary changes to incorporate the present invention therein. In view of the nature of this showing therefore and the clear and explicit manner in which the dispensing mechanism is disclosed in my prior patent, I do not consider it necessary to dwell at length upon the details of the dispensing and lighting mechanism for the cigarettes, but will merely consider so much thereof as is necessary to a full and clear understanding of the present invention.

Thus, in the accompanying drawing, I indicates the body or receptacle of the casing which is provided with a pivoted cover 2, the forward portion of the body being formed near its base with an opening 3 through which a dispensing slide 4 is operable to individually dispense cigarettes 5, normally contained within the body I. One end of the dispensing slide carries an ignition element 6 adapted to ignite cigarettes, resting in the hook shaped rests I, and adapted to be impelled in the direction of the ignition element 6 by a pusher 8. On the slide 4 is mounted a movable contact 9 adapted to engage with a fixed contact l0 when the slide 4 is moved to open position for the purpose of energizing the ignition element 6 to light a cigarette. The contact I0 is insulated from the casing and current is fedthereto from a battery ll through a wire i2. When the slide is retracted, the ignition element 6 is de-energized, but, when the slide is withdrawn to dispense the cigarette, current is fed to one pole of the element, while the other pole is grounded at i3 to complete the circuit through said element and light a cigarette.

In adapting the present invention to this construction, I preferably incorporate in the wire i2 a thermostatic switch l4 having a fixed con- 60 tact l5 and a movable contact IS. The movable contact is carried by a thermostat I'I around which is wrapped a heating coil [8 connected in series with the contact [6' and the contact ill. The thermostatic switch is so biased that the iii contact it will engage the contact is to close the circuit, but as current done through heating element it to one element 6, it will heat up the theme o so as to disengage the contact to irorn. the contact 55 after sufiicient time has elapsed to permit a proper heating oi the ignition element. The circuit will thereby he broken, and ignition element de energized and thus sate-guarded against harming out.

in. any suitable of the casi g a soclretis provided with a pass around lighter. in Figure 1 this socket is formed in the cover and is designated by the reference character is. Figure a, it formed at one end of casing body,

below the cover and designated 20. Inv this socket iii is adapted to be received any appropriate form oi pass-around lighter, but, for the pur ose of illustration, it have shown a conven type comprising a plug it having at one end an operating knob 22 and at the other end an ignition element t3. Qne terminal of the ignition eiement is electrically connected to a, center contact 24, while the other terminal of such ele ment is grounded at 25. Within the casing is fixed contact 26 insulated from the casing and connected by a wire 2'! to the contact 10. By this arrangement the ignition element 23 of the pass-around lighter is connected in series with a thermostatically controlled switch M. The pass-around lighter is conventional and may be operated by simply pressing in. the knob 22 to complete the circuit from the battery H through the element 23 to ground at 25. When the elell ment is sufficiently hot, the plug is removed from the socket by handling it through the lmob 22 and it is employed in the usual way, When in place in this socket, if attempt is made to energize it so long as would result in overheating 1 with consequent danger of burning out the element 23, the thermostatically controlled switch M will automatically open and protect it against this failure.

It will thus be seen that the switch it protects both the ignition elements t and 23 and is comrnon to both of them, being positioned in a rise ignition.

neonate common teed circuit and responsive to the oper atlons of both elements selectively" The structure of Figure 4 is the same the structure of Figures 1 and 2, except as to the placement of the pass-around lighter and it operates in the same manner.

The foregoing detailed description sets forth the invention in its preferred practical form, and the invention is to be understood as fully commensurate with the appended claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Fatent is:

In an assembly or the character described, a heat conductive casing having a body and a cover having therein a socket formed as an outwardly protruding enlargement having increased radiation suriace and being sized for receiving a pass-around lighter and dissipating the excess heat generated thereby during operation thereof, a pass-around lighter in said socket, cigarette'disnensing and lighting means within the body of the casing and including an ignition element, a common electrical current lead to the casing, and independently controlled electrical connections within the casing for feeding the current from such lead to the ignition element or to the pass-around lighter, selectively.

2. In an assembly of the character described, a heat conductive housing having a plurality of walls, one oi said walls having a protruding eniargement in the provision of a socket for increasing the radiation surface of the housing, said socket being sized for receiving a pass-- around lighter and dissipating the excess heat generated thereby during energization th reof, pass-around lighter rem'ovably disposed in said socket, cigarette dispensing and lighting means also operatively associated with the housing, said lighting means including an ignition element, an electrical lead upon the housing, and independently controlled electrical connections within the housing for feeding the current from said lead to said ignition element or to the passaround lighter selectively.

RICHARD MAYER. 

